(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the preparation, transportation and storage of fresh vegetation.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Commercial hydro-coolers have been in commercial operation for some time. In the hydro-coolers, harvested produce was loaded in crates or lugs and placed upon a conveyor. The loaded conveyor was moved into a chamber where chilled water was flushed over it to quickly reduce the temperature of the produce to the required shipping temperature. After the cooling process, it was also customary to move the produce out of the cooling chamber, either by hand or by fork lift, to move it through ambient atmosphere into a refrigerated truck, trailer or railroad car. Often this refrigerated truck, trailer or railroad car was not refrigerated at the time the produce was loaded into it. It may be seen that not only a certain amount of inefficiency took place because of the addition of heat to the produce, but also there would be an undesirable temperature fluctuation of the produce.
Before this invention, fresh harvested produce, such as radishes, had been loaded into trailers and chilled by a water flood. The water was flooded into the trailer by inserting water pipes through the open door of the trailer and leaving the doors open for the water to drain from the trailer after it had flushed the produce. After the produce was chilled, the normal atmosphere was purged from the trailer and from the produce by flooding the area with nitrogen gas as produced by liquid nitrogen. Thereafter, the trailer was closed as tightly as possible and sent to its destination. During transportation, conventional refrigeration units were provided to keep the contents as near as possible at 32.degree. F.
Before this application was filed, applicant was aware of the following U.S. patents:
Johnson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,840 PA0 Coyner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,882 PA0 Ellis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,153,917 PA0 Dixon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,360 PA0 Dixon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,133 PA0 Dixon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,365,307 PA0 Snelling, U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,073 PA0 Lichtenberger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,336 PA0 Dixon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,769 PA0 Dixon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,757 PA0 Stowasser et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,182 PA0 Rhoad, U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,925 PA0 Dixon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,477 PA0 Shaw, U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,580 PA0 Waters, U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,948.
Many of these patents are considered pertinent because the applicant believes the Examiner would consider anything revealed by any searches related to this subject matter to be relevant and pertinent to the examination of this application. However, it is noted that Ellis discloses removable individual planks with adjustable holes therein segregating an insulated trailer into a lower frozen food section and an upper fresh food section. Rhoad discloses a multilevel sprinkler pipe system for produce in individual trays, with sprayed water collected in a sump, chilled there, and recirculated. Coyner discloses a sprinkler pipe system for spraying misted water on animals.